The YMCA Child Development Center is a Missouri Licensed facility and meets the Standards of the Missouri Board of Accreditation of Early Childhood Education and School Age Child Care Programs. Since the opening of our new location in August 2006, we are educating more than 125 children. We educate and care for Newborns to Pre-Kindergarteners between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday-Friday.

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The center uses the nationally recognized Creative Curriculum in planning daily activities for children in the program. The philosophy is to actively involve children in their environment with activities that build and develop social-emotional, cognitive, language, and gross and fine motor skills. Our teachers introduce activities that are not only developmentally appropriate for children but meaningful as well. Children have fun while they are actively learning through hands on experience. An important part of the daily schedule is to foster independence.

Each classroom focuses on a new concept or theme every week. Developed around Missouri Preschool Standards and Kindergarten Skills, these two programs make learning fun while giving your child the skills to be successful in the future.

An established 52-week curriculum is in place for each classroom. Our curriculum focuses on lesson plans with developmentally appropriate activities that help children reach developmental milestones. By adding the Pre-K standard to our lesson plans, the children have a goal in mind for each activity.

For a nominal monthly fee, we also offer enrichment classes for students interested in developing additional independence for their future success. All classes are offered within the hours of operation. Current enrichment classes include Computer Classes and Music Classes.

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The YMCA Child Development Center teachers meet licensing and accreditation standards. We have minimum education/experience requirements for our teachers. All teachers must have college hours in early Childhood Education, and/or a related field or equivalent experience in the child development setting. All teachers receive 12 hours of approved child related training each year. Many are CPR & First Aid certified.

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We have an open door policy at the Child Development Center. Our center has a strong Parent's Advisory Committee which meets every other month. Parent involvement is encouraged through holiday parties, family picnics, family night, parents' night, and other special functions. Parents are strongly encouraged to participate in their child's activities to show their devotion to the child's development and education. Classrooms provide daily written reports to parents about their child's day at the center and also a yearly assessment to help keep parents informed and educated on their child's development and growth at the center.

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Each classroom is developed for specified age groups to allow for developmentally appropriate activities:

Infants
Y-member - $617; Non-member - $650

Toddlers
Y-member - $617; Non-member - $650

Transition Twos
Y-member - $617; Non-member - $650

Older Twos
Y-member - $537; Non-member - $566

Pre School Classrooms
Y-member - $484; Non-member - $510

Pre K Classrooms
Y-member - $484; Non-member - $510

Kindergarten Readiness Classrooms
Y-member - $484; Non-member - $510

If you are interested in enrolling your child at the center or have questions, please call 635-6665. Our director can also be reached by email at kbranch@jcymca.org. Please stop by anytime and tour our facility.

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